The Honda Civic has always been a more interesting choice for buyers in the Focus-sized family hatchback segment. This tenth generation model gets a minor styling update and has forty years of heritage to build upon. We like the spacious, dynamic-looking body, the strong standards of safety and the revvy petrol engines. It all sounds quite promising.

Background

Cars like the Honda Civic were always closest to the heart of company founder Soichiro Honda. Back in the Sixties when the best the motor industry could offer a small family was something like a lumbering Morris Oxford, it was he who pioneered the idea of a compact fuel and space-efficient family car with a hi-tech air-cooled flat-four 1300cc engine. It was thinking that led to the launch of the original Civic in 1972, a model series that over the next forty years would go on to sell over 20 million cars around the world, over 650,000 of them in the UK.

Throughout those decades, there have been so many reasons why people like us have wanted to like this car: its unique styling, its wonderfully slick gearbox, its sporty engines, its clever 'magic seating' practicality and its unique driver-centric dash. But then came the 'if onlys'. If only the ride, refinement, cabin quality and running costs had been better. If only the lifeless power steering hadn't disguised the responsive handling. If only the pricing had been a bit more competitive. You can't afford 'if onlys' the way the Focus-class segment is at present and Honda knew it had to do better. Apparently it has done with this much improved MK10 model.

Driving Experience

Top of Honda's 'to do' list in developing this tenth generation Civic was to sort out the petrol side of the engine range. The 1.4 and 1.8-litre i-VTEC units offered with the previous ninth generation model were an embarrassing distance away from the class standard in terms of efficiency but that's all changed now. Instead, with this MK10 model, there's an entry-level three cylinder 1.0-litre VTEC TURBO unit with 129PS and a larger four cylinder 1.5-litre VTEC TURBO powerplant with 182PS. Both have more power and torque than the old engines could offer and come with the choice of either 6-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission.

Despite all this effort, many Civic customers will continue to want a diesel. So this latest generation model continues on with the previous version's 120PS 1.6 i-DTEC unit which fortunately, continues to be a strong contender in this segment and has recently benefitted from minor upgrades. As for handling, this is claimed to be 'the most agile and dynamically proficient Civic ever'. Support for that claim comes in the form of all-new suspension, a lower centre of gravity and a boost in body rigidity. Ride comfort has been improved too.

Design and Build

There aren't too many changes to the sleek and swept-back shape. Just a more elegant, symmetrical lower front grille around the fog lights, a smoother air-intake design and full LED headlight clusters with redesigned LED daytime running lights, plus some revised 16 and 17-inch alloy wheel designs. As before, buyers get a choice of either the usual five-door hatch or a four-door saloon. Either way, the sharp lines are complemented by the most comprehensive aerodynamic packing in the segment, including complete under-body panelling. More importantly, this MK10 model Civic is bigger than before, in hatchback form 30mm wider and 130mm longer than its predecessor. All of this sits on a more advanced unibody platform that Honda says is 16kg lighter and 52% stiffer than before.

Inside, smarter textured interior panels have been added, plus the 7-inch Honda Connect touchscreen gets physical buttons and there are now dials for the infotainment and climate controls. Otherwise, it's as before. The driving position is set quite low with the extra cabin space facilitated by the large body. Luggage space remains near-class-leading, with 478-litres on offer in the hatch version. Plus there's a hidden underfloor compartment on most models that offers a further secure storage area.

Market and Model

There's a choice of five-door hatch and four-door saloon body styles and buyers are being offered a choice of two petrol engines, the 1.0-litre 129PS VTEC TURBO and the 1.5-litre 182PS VTEC TURBO. From the launch of this updated model for the 2020 year, pricing was pitched from just under £20,000 for the entry-level 'S' 1.0-litre variant; you'll pay around £1,600 more if you want the alternative 1.6-litre 1.6 i-DTEC diesel. With both those engines, there's a choice of 'S', 'SE', 'SR' and 'EX' trim levels.

All models include the usual equipment features in this class - and Honda is particularly proud of this car's comprehensive infotainment capabilities. The latest version of the 'Honda Connect 2' connectivity system allows full smartphone integration via both AppleCarPlay and Android Auto so you can duplicate the functionality of your handset on the centre-dash 7-inch touchsceen display. Safety systems include Honda's suite of 'SENSING' technologies.

Cost of Ownership

For the first time, Honda is able to offer Civic buyers two class-competitive petrol engines when it comes to running costs. The brand claims that this MK10 model's freshly developed 1.0 and 1.5-litre VTEC TURBO units can match the best of the competition when it comes to fuel and CO2 returns. The 1.0-litre unit manages up to 49.6mpg on the combined cycle (WLTP) and up to 110g/km of CO2 (NEDC). For the 1.5 VTEC, it's up to 46.3mpg and up to 128g/km. And the revised 1.6 i-DTEC diesel unit continues to offer a competitive package in this regard too, with a combined cycle economy showing of 62.8mpg (WLTP) and CO2 returns of 90g/km (NEDC).

On to the warranty, a three year/90,000 mile deal. There's also a fixed-price comprehensive aftercare package called 'Five' which includes five years' servicing, five years' warranty and five years' roadside assist. Residual values of the old ninth generation Civic held up pretty well, so there's no reason to think that those of this improved variant will be any different.

Summary

A lot of boxes have been ticked then, yet it's clear that Honda has also worked hard to maintain this car's more characterful approach in this segment. Dynamic functionality was Honda's goal in creating this car. They may well have achieved it.

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